


At this time.

by shallowness



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 15:57:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20491433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shallowness/pseuds/shallowness
Summary: In dire circumstances, Trip engages in a breach of protocol.





	At this time.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt: any, any, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

T'Pol had been reading out the dropping oxygen levels, her voice remaining unchanged if you didn't listen carefully.

Trip was listening carefully, but it’s getting tougher to do.

It’s quiet apart from their shallow breaths.

She's so close.

Trip reaches out to touch her hand, waiting for her to move it away.

She does not.

Trip touches her, knowing all he knows about Vulcans and touching them, but knowing too all he knows about this particular Vulcan.

Depleted after the gesture, he doesn't turn his head to look at her face, doesn't see her eyelids drop, the only reaction she shows to his gesture.

In a few seconds, his own eyes close.

She is aware of the moment he loses consciousness.

The oxygen deprivation affects T'Pol more slowly. She does not look at the display reading again, neither does she move her hand away from his. His touch was not unpleasant. It is not unpleasant.

The higher functions of her brain shut down.

That is how they are found, seated together, Commander Tucker's fingers resting on Sub-commander T’Pol’s hand, shocking the Vulcan contingent of the rescue party, although they do not show it. The patients are scanned and moved. The connection is broken. Oxygen masks are put on.

They do not die that day.

Tucker comes to to hear a low Vulcan voice ask a question he thinks he understands. At least, he understands 'why' 'he' 'touch' and 'you'.

T'Pol's answer is slow, not because of any deficiency in her recovery, but because she is translating an English saying to Vulcan.

Trip will never ask Hoshi to confirm whether what T'Pol says translates as, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."


End file.
